Flat-bed manifolding machine



' June 5, 1923. w

- J. Q. SHERMAN FLAT BED' MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed April 19. 1921Patented June 5, i923.

iasaaai PATENT @FFHQE.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN, F DAYTON, OHIO.

FLAT-BED MANIFOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed April 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Q. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States,anda resident of the city of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Flat-BedManifolding Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to manifolding machines particularly thoseemploying a typewriter for making impressions on the sheets 1 of paperused, and those employing a fiat bed on which the writing is done.

It is the object of my invention to provide a pin wheel feed for paper,in such a device, andparticularly to drive said pin wheel device by amotor, said feed being coupled up with a device for withdrawing the websof paper from a storage cabinet at the same time,

In connection with the withdrawing device, I provide as part of myinvention, a movable feeding and aligning devicev for the webs of paper,which may be individual for each web, but in any case is so synchronizedas to the amount fed that ample will be present at all times, for themain feed, and all webs aligned both longitudinally and transversely sothat all the main feed needs to do is to correct mis-alignment arisingbetween the withdrawing device and the said as main feed.

The movement of the feeding device is to permit of ready alignment ofthe various webs with relation to each other, and. then moving them in abody to a position sub stantially parallel with. the fiat bed, so thatno webs have more strain on them than the others.

I acomplish my object and other advantages to be noted, by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter morespecifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device made according to my invention.

Serial No. 462,677.

Figure 2 is a detail elevation, at right angles to Figure 1, showing thecarbon paper feed, with its change speed mechanism.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of one of the carbon paper feedspindles.

In a co-pending application, Serial No. 37 0,839, filed in my name andthat of Albert W. Metzner, there is described an electric operatingdevice for driving a sprocket or pin Wheel feed for "manifoldingregister paper, having marginal holes therein. In the presentapplication, the motor drive is the same as in that of the saidapplication for patent, and the novelty residing in the use of saiddevice herein resides only in its combination with other features notpresent in said earlier application.

The pin wheel feeding device for the main feed is substantially that ofthe patent to Schirmer, No. 940,481 to which reference is hereby made. i

The interleafing device, which is employed for the individualizing ofthe various webs of paper, and preventing fracture of the edges of theinterleaved carbon paper is that i I of the Sherman and Metznerapplication Serial No. 391,499 and. reference is hereby made to saidapplication for the details of this structure Referring to the machinein general, the writing bed or platen is indicated at 1, and frame at 2,and the storage cabinet at 3. The typewriter 4 moves over the platen inthe usual manner, and the paper webs 5 are mounted in the storagecabinet in rolls 6, from which they may be withdrawn without excessivefriction or hold back.

In a channel or roove 7 in the storage frame are set the series of bars8, which carry the carbon paper protecting sheets or strips 9, eachstrip being of double structure so as to overlie the edges of thevarious webs of carbon paper 10, and protect them from fracture due tothe movement of the webs of paper therebetween.

Mounted on shafts 11 on the upper portion of the storage cabinet 3, area series of pin wheels 13, of like nature. Pivoted at 14 to the frame ofthe storage cabinet is a frame made up of side bars 12 suitably webraced together and in this frame is mounted a series of idler rollers14;", one roller between each pair of pin wheels to guide and hold thepaper on the pin wheels.

As shown, each one of the shafts 11 has a sprocket 15, and a chain 16inter-connects all sprockets, and thus all shafts, and holds them in afixed mutual relation.

The frame has two positions, one (Figure 1) elevated at an angle to thehorizontal, where it is held by a bell crank latch 17 en gaging over alu or catch 18 on the storage frame and the ot er lowered to ahorizontal positionwith the lug 19 resting on the stop 20 on the storageframe.

The latches and stops may be duplicated or but a single set employed.

In loadin the machine, the frame is let down to its orizontal positionand the webs of paper drawn from the rolls, and set over the pin in sucha way that the proper point on each web has its apertures set over theproper pin of each piniwheel. This can be readily determined byobservation, and as in all types of pin wheel feed machine, the holeswill normally be arranged uniformly alon one or both margins of thewebs.

A ter the webs are arranged over the balance of the machine the o ratorraises the frame to its elevated positlon, so as to bring the idlerrollers into proper position to guide and hold the respective webs ofpaper on their respective wheels. In driving the pin wheels, therevolution of any one of the set will impart revolution to the othersthrough the sprockets and chain above noted.

I do not desire to be limited to the use of an individual pin wheel foreach web, as experience has shown that several Websmay be fed by meansof a single pin wheel. I will ordinarily employ two pin wheels for eachshaft, but this also is optional, as a single pin wheel for each web orwebs will suffice As noted above, the carbon paper protecting devic asmore particularly described in another application, is arrangedvertically and the webs pass from it to the platen of the machine.

At the issuing end of the platen, there is mounted a main feed shaft 30,on which are mounted one or more pin wheels 31, and suitable pressureroll lifting cams, for which see the Schirmer patent above referred to.The pressure roll, varying from the Schirmer patent, is shown at 32, andis mounted on a pair of arms 33, set fixedly on a shaft 34. This isunder the influence of a spring 35, which acts to keep the roll in placeon the cams above noted.

On this feed shaft 30 is also a sprocket 36, from which a .chain 37 runsto. an idler sprocket 38 on the side of the machine. This sprocketcarries another sprocket 39, which is connected by a' chain 40 with thesprocket 41 on the first of the shafts in the frame over back from themain feed in loading the device the ro er apertures must be selected toprovi e a ignment for all'copies at the mam feed, while'at the same timeproviding the same looseness for each web between the two feedingpoints.

1 have thus provided this storage unwinding feed to operate -as a unitwith the main feed inorder to obtain a sufficient looseness of the paperwebs between the two feeds in order to obviate the heavy pull or dragwhich would result if the main feed had to do all the work. In this waythe main feed can function more properly in feeding the forms across theplaten and in maintaining alignment at this point.

he machine shown has a motor operation, for which I have referred aboveto a pending application for the details. There is here shown a motor 42of the type which will automatically switch itself off upon extra heavyload being applied to it. This motor has a starting button 43 and a gear44, which meshes with another gear on the feed shaft. A suitable stoplocated on the main feed shaft comes in contact with a latch 45 at theend of each rotation of the shaft and this will also cause the motor tostop. When it is desired to start the feed, the latch isreleased and thestarting button pressed.

Other details of the motor drivel have not described, as they are amplytaken up in the said application.

The carbon paper feeding devices in this invention are of special type,so as to permit of an adjustable feed of paper, and also a feed whichvaries between the uppermost and lowermost of the strips of paper used.This carbon paper device, Figures 2 and 3, is on the opposite. side ofthe machine from that shown in Figure 1 and it will be understood thaton the side shown, the carbon paper is mounted on a pair of ordinaryrolls 50, and thence drawn up and across the platen, being thereinterleaved between the webs of paper to be written upon.

I prefer to employ, say two rolls of the paper, one having more stripsthan the other, and the one having the fewer strips set so as to haveits strips come uppermost on the platen, and thus receive the greatestamount of wear. As will be noted, these sheets are renewed more rapidlythan those below them.

0n the other side of the machine from that shown in Figure 1, the feedshaft is extended as at 51, and supplied at its outer end with a supportin the side of the carbon paper trough 52. The carbon trough is alsoprovided with a rigid plate 53, having a series of holes 54 therein.

I ngaging over the shaft extension 51, is a sleeve 56 which sleevecarries a fixed handle 57 thereon, said handle havinga pin at its endwhich slides under spring tension as at 58, to engage in one of theseries of holes 54. The sleeve also carries a pinion 59 thereon and thehandle carries a pinion 60 which meshes with the pinion 59 and isplanetary'thereto. The pinion 59, while carried by the sleeve has a keydisk 61 on its outer end for engaging in the key-way 62 in the shaftportion 51.

This construction enables the operator to shift the pinion 59 along theshaft, and hold it in a number of positions and keep the pinion 60 inmesh therewith at all positions.

he handle does not turn with the shaft, but the pinion 59 does and willdrive the small pinion 60.

There are two carbon paper spindles, in

this instance as shown at 63 and 64, both of which will have cores 65set thereover,

with the cores having starting clamps or rods 66 of-familiarconstruction and operation'.. 1 On the spindle mounting stud 63, set inthe bracket 63 is a loose worm gear 67, and on the spindle mounting stud64: also mounted in said bracket is a loose worm gear 68 of larger sizethan the gear 67. A shaft 67* mounted to revolve in the sides of thetrough is shown as extended across both. of the worm gears and carriesworms 69 and 70, which mesh with the two worms, and drives one fasterthan the other, as will be evident.

The worm gears are loose on the spindle mounting studs, and carry pins71, which enter holes 72 in the ends of the cores on the spindles sothat the cores and spindles may be withdrawn without disturbing theaction of the worms.

The shaft 67 a has mounted fixedly thereon,

a set of gears 73 to form a cone gear, which will provide differentspeeds of drive by the positioning of the pinion mechanism on the feedshaft extension 51. A handle 74 may be used for revolving the shaft 67,for starting carbon paper-on the spindles, at which operation theshiftable gear device on the shaft portion 51 will be moved entirely outof meshing position with the gears at 73.

By this construction now described, it is evident, when the strips ofcarbon paper are brought over the platen, and secured to the spindlecores 65, that the operation of the feed willdraw a small portion of thecarbon paper over the platen at each feeding operation, The lowermostsheets will be drawn more slowly than the uppermost ones, and the speedof both types may be varied.

One of the chief items of upkeep of large manifolding machines of thischaracter is carbon paper, since heavy blows must be struck tomake sixor more impressions, and this will deteriorate the carbon paper rapidly.Also the carbon paper will stick to the paper written upon and cause thefeed to operate improperly, so that some small amount must be fed ateach operation to break up adhesions.

Grades of carbon paper vary quite widely, and the operator would notrequire such a frequent renewal for good paper as for bad, and willalways require a more. rapid renewal of upper sheets than lower sheets.

Mymechanism takes care of all of these features and makes the machinemuch more economical of carbon paper than one which makes no suchprovision.

I do not desire my failure to mention equivalent structures in the abovedescription, to

be construed as a limitation of the claims that follow, as I have merelyshown and described a structure which is preferred by me for mostaccurate operation and permanence of repair.

Having thus described my invention, what and means for driving the pinwheel feed and pin wheel devices synchronously, from a common source.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flatplaten, a pin wheel feed for drawing webs of paper over said platen, astorage element, individual pin wheel devices for each web forwithdrawing the webs of paper from said storage element, to supply themto the platen,

means for driving the pin wheel feed and pin wheel devices synchronouslyfrom a. common source, and means for guiding and holding the paper webson the pin wheel devices.

3: In a device of the character described, the combination with a. flatplaten, a pin wheel feed for drawing webs of paper over said platen, astorage element. pin wheel devices for withdrawing the webs of paperfrom said storage element to supply them to the platen, means fordriving the pin wheel feed and pin wheel devices synchronously from acommon source, and means for guiding and holding the paper webs on thepin wheel devices, said means comprising a'frame with a series ofrollers mounted therein, said frame having a pivotal mounting and meansfor retaining it in horizontal and inclined positions, for the purposedescribed.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flatplaten, a pin wheel feed for drawing webs of paper over said platen, astorage element for paper, an individualizing device adapted to separateeach web of paper before it reaches the platen, and individual pin wheeldevices for each the webs of paper from the storage device beforereaching the individualizing device, comprising a series of pin wheels,and means for driving the pin wheel feed and pin wheel devicessynchronously from a common source, a frame with rollers in alternateseries with the pin wheels, and means for retaining the frame at varyingpositions to facilitate mounting the webs over the pin wheel and torender substantially ho-rizon tal the path of the paper from the pinwheels to the individualizin device.

6. In a device of t e character described, the combination with a fiatplaten, a pin wheel feed for drawing webs of paper over said platen, astorage element, pin wheel devices for withdrawing the webs of paperfrom said storage element to supply them to the platen, and means fordriving the pin wheel feed and pin wheel devices synchronously from acommon source, said pin wheel devices comprising a series of pin wheels,one pin or set of pin wheels for each web of paper.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fiatplaten, a pin wheel feed for drawing webs of paper over said platen, astorage element, pin wheel devices for withdrawing the webs of paperfrom said storage element to supply them to the platen comprising aseries of pin wheels and means for driving the pin wheel feed and pinwheel devices synchronously from a common source, a frame with rollersin alternate series with the pin wheels, and means for moving the saidframe to positions to facilitate mounting of the paper over the pinwheels and to provide a substantially horizontal path of the paper tothe platen.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flatplaten, an aligning and feedin device for drawing webs of paper over saiplaten, a stora e element, an aligning and feeding device or withdrawingeach of the webs of paper individually from said storage element tosupply them to the platen, and means for driving the aligning andfeeding devices synchronously from a common source.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flatplaten, an aligning and feeding device for drawing webs of paper oversaid platen, a storage element, an aligning and feeding device forwithdrawing each of the webs of paper individually from said storageelement to supply them to the platen, and means for driving the aligningand feeding devices synchronously from a common source, said meanscomprising in part a motor, with means for automaticall stopping thefeed action thereof for ind1- vidual operations.

10. In a device of the character described, means for mounting carbonpaper over the platen thereof, a feed device, driven spindle elementsfor feeding the carbon paper over the platen, and connection from thefeed device to the driven spindles for revolving them during feedingoperations.

11. In a device of the character described, means for mounting carbonpaper over the platen thereof, a feed device, driven spindle elementsfor feeding the carbon paper over the platen, and. connection from thefeed device to the driven spindles for revolving them during feedingoperations, said connections including a change speed mechanism. Y

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with aplurality of driven spindles for feeding carbon paper over a platen, ofa feed device for webs of paper over the platen, and connections fromthe feed device to the spindles, said connections having differentspeeds, whereby some of the spindles are driven more rapidly thanothers.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination'with aplurality of driven spindles for feeding carbon paper over a platen, ofa feed device for webs of paper over the platen, and connections fromthe feed device to the spindles, said connectlons having differentspeeds, whereby some of the spindles are driven more rapidly thanothers, said connections comprising also a change speed mechanism commonto all spindle feeds. 5

14. In a device of the character described, the combination with a feeddevice, of a carbon paper spindle feed shaft, driving con nectionthereto from the feed device, a plurality of carbon paper spindles, wormwheels for revolving the carbon paper spindles, and

worms on the spindle feed shaft, said wormwheels and gears beingarranged for difieraaeaeao ent speeds to difi erent spindles, for thepurpose described.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination with -a feeddevice, of a carbon paper spindle feed shaft, driving connection theretofrom the feed device, a plurality of carbon paper spindles, Worm wheelsfor revolving the carbon paper spindles, and worms on the spindle feedshaft, said worm wheels and gears being arranged for difierent speeds todifierent spindles, and the driving connection between the feed deviceand the spindle feed shaft comprising a change speed ear element.

16. n a device of the character described, the combination with a feeddevice, of a carbon paper spindle feed shaft, driving connection theretofrom the feed device, a pluralit wheels or revolving the carbon paperspindles, and worms on the spindle feed shaft, said worm wheels andgears being arranged for difi'erent speeds to difierent spindles, andthe worm wheels having detachable connection with the carbon paperspindles.

17. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a flat laten, means for feeding a plurality of we sof paper over of carbon paper spindles, worm.

said platen, a storage element for said paper webs and additional meansfor feeding the paper webs from the storage element and to the platen tofurnish strips for alignment and delivery over the platen, saidadditional means operating with the main feed to feed sections of eachweb of the same length per operation as the feed'is per operation of themain feed and comprising rotary means having interspaced teeth to engageinterspaced holes in the pa er webs.

18. In a devlce of the character described, the combination with atypewriter and a fiat platen for receiving the typewriter impression, ofmeans for feeding a plurality of webs of paper in alignment over saidplaten,

a stora e compartment within which the webs 0 paper are mounted in rollsand toothed rotary means for feeding the webs from the rolls to theplaten, so as to maintain alignment thereof lengthwise and transverselyand synchronously with the main feed, to provide loose aligned stripsfor the typewriter and for delivery therefrom, said rotary means havinginterspaced teeth to engage interspaced holes in the paper webs.

JOHN e. SHERMAN.

